Tobu/JR Kinugawa Re-started This Morning

[gmat]

Took photos of the 485 and Spacia this morning. The 485 will be replaced soon, according to a crew member that I asked this morning. The Super View Odoriko was supposed to be running from Tokyo but didn't see any at Shinjuku/Ikebukuro this morning. The Kwaguchiko 183 didn't make an appearance this morning either. There are apparently two 183s to be used, the old blue/white one with the characters on it and the second one in the old Asama livery of tan with red trim that had recently supplanted the regular 185. Some of the Kawaguchi trains will start from Omiya and route through Tachikawa.

Shot a Neohana going to Tateyama this morning too.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[gmat]

Went back in the evening and shot the 485 coming back to Shinjuku. Talked to a cleaning staff person about the Super View Odoriko and he said that it isn't running. Will check again today.

A JR flyer for Kawaguchi-ko/Yamanaka-ko "Select Free Kippu' printed for March, before the earthquake, seems to indicate that the Kawaguchi special will have two trains/routes. #1 from Shinjuku to Kawaguchi-ko. leaving at 8:14 with #2 returning to Shinjuku at 18:04. Seems to run until Jun. 26 on Saturdays and Holidays. #3 departs from Omiya at 8:18 for Kawaguchi-ko but the first stop is at Tachikawa. It seems to bypass Shinkuku. #4 returns to Omiya at 17:26. Does anyone know the route it would take from Tachikawa to Omiya?

 

Best wishes,

Grant.

[bikkuri bahn]

Does anyone know the route it would take from Tachikawa to Omiya?

 

It takes the Musashino Line, via the connection with the Chuo Line between Kunitachi and Nishi Kokubunji, and the connection to the Tohoku Line past Nishi Urawa.

[gmat]

Thanks, BikkuriBahn.

 

I found out that the Kawaguchi-ko and Yamanaka-ko trains aren't running until June. Rail fans that I queried this morning had no idea when the 485 JR/Tobu Nikko to Kinugawa will be replaced. Of the three round trips today and I guess yesterday, the 485 made two and the Spacia made one. The 485 left at 7:30 and returned at about 12:49 and left at 13:05 and returned at about 18:34 and went to park overnight near Shinagawa. The Spacia arrived from Kinugawa at about 10:17 and left for Nikko at about 10:35 and returned at about 17:30 and returned to Nikko. There was a small crowd of about 7/8 rail fans at the north edge of platform 7/8 this afternoon. Trying to get their shots of the 485 before it retires. No sign of the 183.

 

There were only trains going to Tateyama this morning, but one was the Nanohana. There were three yesterday.

 

Riding home from Kichjoji Station tonight at about 10:44, the Chuo Line platform for Tokyo was out of service so I had to go to the Sobu Line platform. But it was a Chuo line train with the yellow destination sign that showed up. It was the same as the early morning ones I saw just after the earthquake, but I didn't see any Chuo Line trains running on the Sobu Line this morning nor yesterday morning when I got to Shinjuka at around 7:00 AM.

 

No sign of any of the charter 183 trains passing through Shinjuku yesterday morning nor this morning. The morning north bound diesel came through at about 11:20, twenty minutes later than usual. No sign of the south bound Kintaro diesel from twelve to after one o'clock.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[scott]

The 485 will be replaced soon, according to a crew member that I asked this morning.

 

Dang--I hope there are some 485s left if I ever get to Japan.